WATCH: Luke Bryan and Mia Matthews Team Up For George Strait Cover on ‘American Idol’ Finale
Matthews said Bryan was “the best duet partner.”
Luke Bryan, Mia Matthews; Photo Courtesy American Idol
Luke Bryan teamed up with American Idol Top 10 contestant, Mia Matthews, to perform a surprise duet during the American Idol finale on Sunday evening.
First, Bryan performed his latest country radio single, “Love You, Miss You, Mean It.”
Then he welcomed Matthews to the stage, shouting, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mia Matthews, everybody!”
The audience erupted with cheers at the sight of Matthews, who entered the stage sporting knee-high sparkly boots and a short silver sequin dress.
For their duet, Bryan and Matthews joined forces for a collaborative rendition of George Strait’s hit single, “Run.” The song was released in 2001 and reached No.2 on the country charts.
Their voices blended together seamlessly as they tipped their hat to the King of Country Music.
At the end of the performance, they hit one final high note as they harmonized together and then embraced in a hug.
“Give it up for Mia,” Bryan said from the stage with a huge smile on his face.
Following their performance, Mia took to social media to share a few snapshots and wrote, “the best duet partner🤝 LOVE U MEAN IT.”
Mia Matthews, who auditioned in Nashville, Tenn., secured a place in the American Idol top 10. A true country girl at heart, she performed several country hits throughout the season, including “No Place That Far” by Sara Evans, “Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” by Lainey Wilson, and “Over You” by Miranda Lambert. Her performance of Shania Twain’s “No One Needs To Know” fell short and she was eliminated from the competition at that point.
When bidding farewell to Idol, Mia shared a message of gratitude toward the show and those she met along the way.
“Living proof that nobody does Shania like @shaniatwain 😉 sorry for messing the words up quee,” she shared. “My time on idol was nothing short of magic! I tried new things, went new places and met new people. I am so so thankful for this journey and all memories made along the way<3 Thank you, Jesus! Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says “To everything there is a season”… and that’s exactly what this is!!! the beginning and end of a season!!! new chapter starts NOW!💜 love yall 🙂 (ps I adore @emmyroserussell and genuinely couldn’t be any more proud😉) LETS GO HOME NOW💜”
Mia is the older sister of Jacy Matthews, who also auditioned for American Idol this season. Fans may also recognize them from NBC’s The Voice where they appeared as part of the trio Worth The Wait with their mother, Tara Matthews.
After joining Team Blake Shelton, Worth The Wait performed covers of country hits such as “Love Is Alive” by The Judds, “Delta Dawn” by Tanya Tucker, and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride.
Their time on the show was cut short just before the Top 9 was revealed. They bid an emotional farewell to Shelton, who they lovingly called “Uncle Blake,” telling him, “We are filled with gratitude for just this whole experience. We didn’t know how far we would go. It was a blessing to our family.”
Months later, Shelton surprised the family trio with an invitation to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
Mia Matthews has yet to reveal what she has planned for her time post-American Idol.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.